I know. Cod liver oil. Yuck. Half of you just made a face as you read the title of this post. Bear with me, okay?
In the midst of a month exploring traditional foods, I couldn't hardly not cover this most important elixir, considered both a food and a supplement. If I could recommend only one supplement to every family, it would be this one. If my family were to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to bring one superfood to consume, in addition to whatever we found on the island, I would pick this one (unless by some miraculous chance I could fly me in a big ol' Jersey cow for raw milk... that would make it a toss up).
Cod Liver Oil as a Traditional Food
The use of cod liver oil goes back farther than you might think. Used primarily for nobility and soliders in the ancient Roman Empire, cod liver oil was thought to maintain strength. The ancient Vikings always kept a barrel of fermenting cod liver oil outside the doors of their homes. Even my grandparents from the East coast of Canada grew up taking diligent spoonfuls out of barrels of fermenting cod livers along the wharf in the fishing community where they lived.
What Makes Cod Liver Oil So Good for Us?
3 things that cod liver oil has going for it:
1. It contains high amounts of EPA and DHA, both crucial Omega-3 fatty acids. DHA is particularly needed for proper brain and nervous system function.
2. High levels of a natural form of vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin. In Weston Price's studies, he discovered that primitive or traditional societies consumed at least 10 times the amount of both vitamin A and D that our modernized society consumes.
Weston Price considered the fat-soluble vitamins, especially vitamin A, to be the catalysts on which all other biological processes depend. Efficient mineral uptake and utilization of water-soluble vitamins require sufficient vitamin A in the diet. His research demonstrated that generous amounts of vitamin A insure healthy reproduction and offspring with attractive wide faces, straight teeth and strong sturdy bodies.
He discovered that healthy primitives especially value vitamin-A-rich foods for growing children and pregnant mothers. The tenfold disparity that Price discovered between primitive diets and the American diet in the 1940s is almost certainly greater today as Americans have forsworn butter and cod liver oil for empty, processed polyunsaturates. (source)
3. Plentiful vitamin D, a nutrient that most North Americans are deficient in, particularly those who live in cloudier climates with less sunshine (I say as I stare out my window, 6 months into the West Coast grey and rainy season). Recent research has been strongly connecting vitamin D with the immune system and autoimmune diseases. It is also important for bone strength (it ensures correct levels of calcium in the blood), for blood sugar balance, for fertility, for cancer prevention and more.
Can I heap some more praise onto the humble oil of the cod liver?
This marvelous golden oil contains large amounts of elongated omega-3 fatty acids, preformed vitamin A and the sunlight vitamin D, essential nutrients that are hard to obtain in sufficient amounts in the modern diet. Samples may also naturally contain small amounts of the important bone- and blood-maintainer vitamin K.
There is hardly a disease in the books that does not respond well to treatment that includes cod liver oil, and not just infectious diseases but also chronic modern diseases like heart disease and cancer. Cod liver oil provides vitamin D that helps build strong bones in children and helps prevent osteoporosis in adults. The fatty acids in cod liver oil are also very important for the development of the brain and nervous system. "If you want to prevent learning disabilities in your children," said David Horrobin, distinguished medical and biochemical researcher, "feed them cod liver oil."
Cod liver oil contains more vitamin A and more vitamin D per unit weight than any other common food. One hundred grams of regular cod liver oil provides 100,000 IU of vitamin A, almost three times more than beef liver, the next richest source; and 10,000 IU vitamin D, almost four times more than lard, the next richest source. Of course, cod liver oil is only consumed in small amounts, but even a tablespoon (about 15 grams) provides well over the recommended daily allowance for both nutrients. (source)
Caden showing you how strong his cod liver oil makes him!
Who Should Take Cod Liver Oil?
Everyone! Cod liver oil is highly recommended as a general supplement for all adults and children by the Weston A. Price Foundation, The Maker's Diet author Dr. Jordan Rubin, and Gut and Psychology Syndrome author Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, all of whom I greatly respect for their nutritional research and guidance.
I personally follow the WAPF recommendations for cod liver oil dosages. They suggest the following (source):
Based on these values, the dosage for the high-vitamin fermented cod liver oil is provided as follows:
Children age 3 months to 12 years: 1/2 teaspoon or 2.5 mL, providing 4650 IU vitamin A and 975 IU vitamin D.
Children over 12 years and adults: 1 teaspoon or 10 capsules, providing 9500 IU vitamin A and 1950 IU vitamin D.
Pregnant and nursing women: 2 teaspoon or 20 capsules, providing 19,000 IU vitamin A and 3900 IU vitamin D.
It should be noted that if you are taking a fermented cod liver oil, like Green Pasture, the suggested servings are actually 1/2 of these amounts, and many people find those dosages to be sufficient. If you are taking another brand, compare the vitaminA and D levels to see how they match up to the suggested dosages above.
Which Cod Liver Oil Should I Use?
The one that our family personally uses (most of the time) and that I would recommend is Green Pasture. This is the only brand I know of for sure that uses a traditional method of fermenting the oil (lacto-fermentation), rather than subjecting it to high temperature processing. This retains far more nutrients and possibly even increases nutrient content, as the lacto-fermentation method tends to do to most foods. It also contains the ideal vitamin A to D ratio, which is 5:1.
Additionally, many brands of cod liver oil have been highly processed, deodorized, bleached and as a result of dwindling vitamin content at this point, they have synthetic vitamins added back in. So much for being a traditional food supplement!
Are there other decent brands out there? Yes. They do not have the benefits of the old-fashioned fermentation method, but there are some that are still worthwhile, although none that I know of that fall into the correct A to D ratio.
Garden of Life Icelandic Cod Liver Oil is one that we've used somewhat, as it is not deodorized and contains natural vitamins, not synthetic ones (but, it may have a ratio of anywhere from 8:1 up to 25:1, depending on what you read). Carlson Norwegian Cod Liver Oil is another respectable brand, though its ratio is only about 2:1 or 3:1 (WAPF lists it as a "Good", though not "Best", choice). They also list TwinLabs Cod Liver Oil, which our family took for years before learning about Green Pasture. I would imagine that it is more processed than some brands, as the taste wasn't as hard to take, but it was still incredibly useful for helping my eczema because of its fatty acid content. I can't really speak to whether the A and D are synthetic or not, but their ratio is 10:1.
Interestingly, one reason to pay attention to the A to D ratio is that vitamin D is actually protective retinol (vitamin A) toxicity, a concern to some. So cod liver oil, eaten as a the whole, natural food that it is particularly safe in that regard. If you're concerned about vitamin A toxicity, this is a good read. Long, but helpful.
What If I Truly Can't Afford the Really Good Stuff?
Take something anyways. At least, that's what I think. Some real foodies will adamantly tell you only Green Pasture and nothing else. Not me. I would rather see someone at least getting in those fatty acids, and hopefully some of the natural vitamin D and A, than nothing at all. I admit, the thought of the synthetic vitamins makes me cringe, so if you're looking at several cheaper brands, I would try calling their customer hotlines or doing some internet research to see whether they include synthetic vitamins or not.
I do have to say, though, that the good stuff isn't as expensive as it seems. When I first saw that a bottle of Green Pasture was a whopping $44, I just about had a heart attack. But, when I got it and saw just how small a dose is (particularly a child's, but even an adult's) I realized that it would definitely go further than I had thought. And, there are so many places in our budgets where we have no qualms about spending $11 (about the cost of a one-month supply for an adult), like those 2-3 lattes a month (or more)... isn't this worth the cost?
My dutiful Abbie, taking her cod liver oil straight.
And Just How Do I Get This "Magical Elixir" Down?
Why, you plug your nose, of course!
I'm (somewhat) joking, but if that doesn't work for you, here are some ideas that might:
- Add liquid cod liver oil to some orange juice, and chug it down.
- Find the best flavor you can find. Personally, Cinnamon Tingle is so far our favorite Green Pasture flavor, and I think my kids liked TwinLabs Mint quite a bit, and the Carlson lemon flavored oil is decent. I find Garden of Life a bit hard to swallow.
- Try an emulsified oil. My favorite TwinLabs flavor was the Emulsified Mint (unfortunately, it also ended up a lot more expensive, but hey, if it helps you get it down...). Green Pasture just came out with a new line of emulsified oils as well.
- Follow whatever you choose to take with a swig of water and something with a stronger flavor. We like a piece of cheese, raisins, and have even been known to use chocolate chips (healthier ones, of course!) as bribery.
- If all else fails, just take the capsules like my hubby does. He uses the Green Pasture orange flavored ones, and never complains about fishy burps or the like.
Do you take cod liver oil? Do you notice a difference in your health when you take it? And how do you get it down?
Disclaimer: I am not a certified medical professional of any kind and am not qualified to give you medical advice, to diagnose any illness or prescribe treatment. My goal is to help to educate and inspire you to take responsibility for your own family's health and make informed choices of your own, not to consult you on medical treatment.
And no, this post was not sponsored by Green Pasture (or any other brand). They are generously sponsoring a giveaway this Thursday (yay!), but that has nothing to do with this post, it just happens to be the brand our family uses most often.
Your info about codliver oil sound pretty good, but what about mercury content in fish? Can this be removed from the oil?
I recently found out about the benefits of cod liver oil and went to CVS and purchased a bottle. The only thing they had was the CVS brand. The only ingredient it had on the bottle was cod liver oil.Serving size was 1 tsp daily (80% vitamin A) and( 100% vit D ) My question is Is the Store brand as good as any of the other since its ingredient is nothing but cod liver oil. They only had the pint size, which was $ 11.99.
I have been taking cod liver oil for as long as I can remember...and I do remember a lot. I am 63 years old and I am studying for my Master's degree in Plant Science, and I do not go without my cod liver oil. I gave it to all my children in their formula, and they all had beautiful complexions as babies. Even when other mothers complained that their children had rashes on their faces, mine did not. When the flu would break out, and other children had running noses and weeping eyes, mine did not. One day a mother asked me about my children's health and why they glowed with beautiful complexions. I told her about cod liver oil. She started taking it, and gave her baby some as well. Needless to say, her baby's rash cleared up, and became very robust and healthy. She thanked me by giving me a beautiful French lace dress from Paris for my newborn. I love cod liver oil.
I am a nigerian. I don't know if I can obtain it in my country, plus I didnt knöw d liquid does exist.
After reading what was wrote about cod liver oil now i know that the cod live oil i have been taking for years is not the right kind.
I will be going to a health food store to find the right kind.
Thank You for the imformation.
Pauline W
I have realy bad arthritis in both knees and a friend told me to start taking Seven Seas high strength cod liver oil so I have been taking it for about three weeks now and I can definitly walk up and down the stairs much better as before it was like one step at a time now I can put one leg in front of the other and walk down as normal so if this carries on I will be sticking to it, thanks A Southward
I am in my fifties and as a child we were given cod liver oil everyday from fall until early summer. I dropped the habit in my twenties but resumed it in my thirties. It is good to see that people are becoming educated about the old fashion ways of staying healthy!
I recently started taking Carlson's Cod Liver Oil and have noticed less aches and pains. My hair sheds less...I think this could be a great supplement so far...
I have recently purchased Carlson's Cod Liver Oil from Amazon for $34 for 16 oz. I have had chronic back pain since 2008. I had back surgery at 28 and still have pain each day. Since taking the cod liver oil for nearly 2 weeks, I am already seeing a difference in my hair, back & joints. I decided to go with Carlson's because it is not fermented which gave me more courage to try it out. Thank you for all of the information you posted on your blog. As for your blog readers, if you are thinking you can't hack the taste, I definitely suggest trying a non-fermented kind. It's really not that bad. It came in light lemon flavor which tastes like olive oil mixed with a watered-down lemon head flavor. The fermented has more health benefits so I hope to gain the courage to try it next.
Thanks so much for your very informative post. It was extremely helpful, and as a result I've just ordered a bottle of Green Pasture for the hubs & I. Never thought I'd be excited to try cod liver (gross!), but I am :) Thanks again!
I have a question... I just realized that my green pasture cod liver oil capsules only have 1 gram per serving (2 capsules each at 500 mg). This barely reaches any of the levels above... so why would they have this as a "serving size"? Can you tell me? I am interested to know. Why do they say a service size is 2 capsules when you list above to take 10 capsules?
Thank you.
I love your website and my mother also grew up with Gramma making everyone take CLO. I unfortunately am severely allergic to shellfish. Does anyone know if I would be okay to take CLO?
I am a senior, brought up in Scotland, fish was ans still is my main diet. My parents pushed Cod Liver Oil and Halibut Oil into us as children. now I am a senior, how good is Cod Liver oil and Dha for the Brain in Seniors? I am taking spring valley cod liver oil with orange flavouring.
I took Scots Emulsified Cod Liver Oil as a child for years. It came ia long bottle with a fisherman's carrying 2 long fish on his back. It was creamy white and had a good taste. Cant find it anywhere........
I used to take Scots Emulsion as a kid also. You can find it on Amazon.
Hi. I liked your post. My mother's doctor recommended her multivitamin-capsules containing cod-liver oil. Does it provides the same amount of benefits?
I just stumbled upon your website & FB page (believe it was no accident) as I was researching about supplements BEST for Vit. D deficiencies. Your website was a huge answer to prayer as it led me to learn about FCLO. I want to use Green Pastures HBVO/FCLO, BUT nervous about which flavor bc of cost.
I am learning about becoming healthier. In all honesty, Im OVERWHELMED where to begin! Im trying to overcome (thru prayer) feelings of guilt of not doing this a lot earlier since I've always had the privilege of being a homemaker. Since we started 3yrs ago homeschooling, my brain is on overload at all I really want to learn: its just where to start!!!Kinda reminds me of when we started to homeschool. Hahaha ....ANYONE feel like I do? Any encouragement would be GREATLY appreciated!
Love in Christ, Shannon
So glad you've found the site, Shannon! I do understand that it can be overwhelming to make these changes, for sure! And just so you know, most of us who write on this site have been working at these changes for 5-10 years, so please don't expect to be at the same place right away. Small steps are good. :)
I wanted to make sure that you saw our current series. It's called "Real Food Made Simple" and it's a beginner's guide to eating better. There have been 6 posts so far and there are many more to come, so please make sure that you follow along. It will hopefully be encouraging and informative for someone in the earlier stages of this journey!
http://www.keeperofthehome.org/tag/real-food-made-simple
YES I HAVE BEEN GIVING MY SON COD LIVER OIL SINCE WAS ABOUT 3 MONTHS HE IS NOW 4 YRS OLD IN KINDERGARTEN AND WAS POTTY TRAINED SUCCESSFULLY AT 2 HIS VOCABULARY IS OUT OF THIS WORLD AND HIS HAIR ,EYES & SKIN IS BEAUTIFUL I GIVE HIM THE GELCAPS.I PINCH A LITTLE HOLE IN IT & HE EATS IT LIKE CANDY SOMETIMES I HAVE TO HIDE THE BOTTLE .I TRY TO TELL SOME NEW MOMS BUT THEY LOOK AT ME LIKE YUCK.. IM NOT DOING THAT BUT MY OLDER SISTERS AND I TRULY GIVE IT TO OUR KIDS DAILY I STARTED TAKING IT MYSELF... ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS THANKS MOM ........RENA FROM QUEENS .N.Y.
Hi Stephanie,
Did you know that Green Pasture is openly against gun control? You should read the post on their blog of December 16. To me it's a deal breaker, I can't support a company that supports guns, but I let you decide for yourself.
Well, those are the personal decisions that we each need to make with the companies that we do or don't support. I encourage everyone to do their own research as they make decisions about where their dollars go. That said, I choose not to get into political issues like these on my blog. I'm sure you understand. :)
This is about supplements and health not political propaganda. But yes you want to ban guns so criminals and madmen cant get their hands on them?? Perhaps we should ban heroin and cocaine also?
Loyd...I like the way you think!
@Cecile It's about the sanctity of the Consitution and its Second Amendment. May I respectfully encourage you to become informed about the wider issues at play. www (dot) infowars (dot) com I was raised on Seven Seas, just finishing up a bottle of Carlsons and now am keen to try this fermented stuff - the first I've heard of it! Shame on me ;)
Hi Stephanie,
Great article! I live on the east coast of Canada and when I was a kid, long ago, my mother wouldn't let me get out the door any morning without making me take a spoonful of cod liver oil. It's been a while, but I just took up the spoon again (into my 50s now) and I'll tell you that the results are nothing short of miraculous. Everywhere I go people have colds and flus, and I used to be highly vulnerable, but now my immune system is keeping me in good form. Thank to CLO. I take it with a little grape juice chaser every morning. Every word you say here rings true for me. Thanks!
do you take CLO while pregnant? If so, do you do it on top of a prenatal vitamin? Would that be too much bit A?
I do take CLO and no, I don't do it on top of a prenatal. I do take separate B vitamins during 1 trimester only, and I always take extra calcium and magnesium.
Can I ask what prenatal vitamin you take?
Hello Stephanie!
Great article on Cod LIver Oil...I just went to the Weston Price Conference in Santa Clara.amazing!!!
Hey..I live on the north coast of CA too....way north near Eureka. Where are you?
Sharon
I'm in Canada. I wish I had gone to that Weston Price conference in CA. I didn't know they were having one on the West Coast... I'm so sad I missed it!
We were able to make the conference and it was so worth it. Funny, I met quite a few people from Canada that made the trip, I was very surprised. Glad we went. Just found your site and happy about that.
We are near Mt. Shasta
I grew up taking cod liver oil as supplement. My mom had the cod liver oil container as center piece in our dining table and I actually liked it. I'm 36 now and I developed fish allergy three years ago. I'm not sure if its related, but I would recommend caution while taking any fish oil.
I have been taking Swanson double strength cod liver oil. I have noticed a big difference in my memory and energy level. Is this a good brand to take? It is from Marine nutriceutical corp.
We place the emulsified FCLO on top a fresh pineapple chunk. I put it in my three year olds mouth, pineapple side down, after a few quick chomps he swallows and gets a swig of water and another piece of pineapple as a reward. For my 1 year old I stick it on my finger and wipe it all over inside her mouth so she can't just spit it out. For myself I also tilt my head all the way back as I choke it down, for some reason it seems to help. On top a spoonful of applesauce is another idea and requires less chewing!
Stephanie,
I appreciate the post. My family is currently on the GAPS diet. I was just reading the GAPS book chapter that covers Omega Fatty acids and decided to do more research on the internet and there you were! I think we'll try some Green Pasture CLO. Thanks again.
What about the fact that vitamin A and vitamin D compete in terms of function in the body? Is there any worry about a high vitamin A to D ratio in cod liver that would degrade the benefits of taking the oil for vitamin D in the first place?
I am interested in starting my family on fermented cod live oil.....what are the added benefits of adding butter oil to that? I viewed the Green Pastures website and noticed they had a combo. Is it better to take them separately or is the combo a choice?
Wendy
I think it depends whether you are already consuming a lot of pastured butter or ghee. If you are, then you could just use the FCLO and take it perhaps with breakfast, when you're already having pastured butter on your toast, for example. But, if you don't have a good source of butter like that, then I think it's probably better to take the combo as the two components (the cod liver oil and the butter oil) work best together, having a synergistic effect. Dr. Weston Price noticed repeatedly in his studies that when they were taken together, the results were far better than when either was taken on its own.
I am taking cod liver oil capsule from past 5 weeks, each soft gel contains 0.32 ml; and was astonished as on date to know that my BP is normal now, which was earlier 160/90, and stop taking BP tablets; daily dosage as per prescription was 2 soft gel thrice a day; but i took twice a day, really it works.
Miracle vow.
Regards